Kevin Keegan: 'I'm proud of it' on career highlights and legacy

Kevin Keegan spoke to Football Focus' Dan Walker in 2018 and reflected on the high points of his career, saying "I'm proud of it". He revisited achievements including winning World Player of the Year twice, his spell managing England and the much-publicised "I would love it" remark from the 1995–96 season.

The conversation, recorded in 2018 for Football Focus, looked back over decades of Keegan's involvement in the game as both a player and a manager. In that interview he identified a handful of moments that defined his public and professional reputation. Among those he highlighted were personal honours at the very highest level of the game and his time in charge of England. He also addressed a memorable comment from the 1995–96 season that became a lasting part of his legacy.

Keegan reiterated the significance of individual recognition, pointing to his two World Player of the Year awards as major milestones. He framed those honours as clear markers of the peaks of his playing career while acknowledging their role in how he is remembered. The exact nature of those achievements was not expanded upon in the interview, but Keegan presented them as central to his sense of accomplishment. His concise assessment underlined the pride he still feels about those distinctions.

Discussion moved to his managerial career, during which Keegan spent time at the helm of England. He spoke about that role as part of a broader review of his pathway through football — from celebrated player to high-profile manager. In the interview he considered how those responsibilities and experiences contributed to the public perception of him. He treated his time as England manager as an important chapter rather than a defining entirety of his career.

The exchange also revisited Keegan's 1995–96-era remark, remembered and quoted repeatedly as "I would love it". In the 2018 conversation he accepted the remark's place in his narrative, acknowledging its resonance with supporters and commentators. He did not alter the wording of that line in the interview, instead allowing its legacy to stand on its own. The phrase remains one of the more quoted moments associated with Keegan's managerial tenure.

Throughout the interview Keegan returned to a theme of satisfaction with what he achieved, encapsulated in his declaration "I'm proud of it". He presented those career highlights without theatricality, offering a measured appraisal of both honours and memorable lines. The 2018 discussion with Dan Walker served as a focused opportunity for Keegan to outline what he sees as the key elements of his legacy.

Keegan's comments in that Football Focus interview consolidate a personal view of a long career shaped by notable awards, high-profile management and a handful of enduring public moments. His succinct verdict — "I'm proud of it" — summed up how he prefers to be remembered.